Toy.



No. 645,877. Patented Mar. 20, I900.

C. W. TAYLOR.

TOY.

(AppXieation filed June 13, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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'NITED STATES CLARENCE w. TAYLOR, OF SIOUX CITY, IOWA;

TOY.

SPECIFICATION forming m of Letters Patent No. 645,877, dated March 26,1eoo.

Application filed June 13, 1899. Serial No. 720,395. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CLARENCE W. TAYLOR, a citizen of the UnitedStates,residing at Sioux City, in the county of VVoodbury and State ofIowa, have invented new and useful Improvements in Game Devices orToys,of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to an improved game device or toycalculated to amuse and instruct the young; and it is the prime objectof the invention to provide an article of this character that will bevery simple in construction and cheap to manufacture.

It is a further purpose of the invention to provide a game device or toyespecially adapted to train the eye in quick and accurate observationand the mind in rapid addition of figures. Finally, it is the object ofthe invention to provide a simple game device or toy for the young thatwill be especially entertaining and productive of mental discipline.

Briefly and generally. stated, the invention comprises a bat orhandpiece divided by lines or marks into a plurality of sections, eachsection bearing a suitable designating mark, letter, figure, or othercharacter, and in an elastic strip or band secured to one end of the bator handpiece and carrying a ball or other body at its free end, theobject being to cause said ball or body to strike one or more of thesaid designating marks or characters by a single shot, which isaccomplished by drawing the said ball back against the tension of theelastic band, taking aim at one of the designating marks or characterson the hat or handpiece, and then freeing the ball or body from thehand, whereby it will be projected or shot forward in the direction ofthe aim given.

In order to enable others to understand, make, and play my game or toy,I will proceed to describe the same in detail, reference being had forthis purpose to the accompanying drawing, in which the figure is a viewof my improved toy or game device.

In the said drawing, the reference-letter a designates a bat or'handpiece circular in cross-section, preferably made of wood, and whichis shown as tapering from one end to the other, although I may make thesame of other cross-sectional shapes and of uniform diameter throughout.The said bat or handpiece is provided with a plurality ofcircumferential lines or marks b, forming between them and the oppositeends of the bat a series of spaces or sections 0, each bearing asuitable designating mark, number, figure, or other character dsuch, forinstance, as 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 which comprise the countingpoints of thegame. Instead of forming the said spaces 0 by a series of lines I maypaint or otherwise mark the bat in so many solid contrasting colors, andI wish it to be here understood that this manner of marking the batclearly comes within the scope of my invention. When I make the bat orhandpiece in this man ner-that is, by forming the spaces in solidcontrasting colorsit will not be absolutely necessary to provide suchspaces with other distinctive characters, as the colors themselves willbe indicative of certain numbers or figures-as, for instance, if thecolors were yellow, green, red, blue, and black they would count,respectively, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. It will be obvious that the colors maybe applied to the bat or handpiece by first printing them upon a stripof paper and then pasting said strip around the bat.

The lower end of the bat or handpiece a serves as a hand-holdingportion, and to the extreme end of the bat opposite to the handholdingportion I secure an elastic band 6, the length of which is preferablysomewhat shorter than the length of the bat, and to the opposite or freeend of said elastic band I attach a ball or other body said ball or bodybeing secured to the elastic band in any desired manner.

In practice I preferto round olf the extreme end of the bat orhandpiece, as shown at g, where the end of the elastic strip is secured,so as to avoid the presence of sharp corners at this point, which ifpresent would tend to cut or wear the elastic strip. This rounded end ofthe hat or handpiece also permits the elastic strip to have a freemovement in all directions, thus enabling the ball to strike the saidbat or handpiece on the rebound as well as on the advance stroke.

In operation the bat or handpiece is held in one hand and the ballpulled back with the other hand against the tension of the elastic banduntil the latter is stretched about twice its natural length. Aim isthen taken at one of the spaces on the bat and the ball then released,whereupon it will be projected or shot in the direction aimed, orapproximately so, and whatever numbered space or spaces on the bat arehit by the ball before the same comes to a state of rest are addedtogether until a certain predetermined number, as 50, is reached, theperson first having this number to his or her credit being designatedthe winner of the game. A hit forward or backward counts the figures onall spaces the ball strikes. If a player should fail to hit any space,than he loses one point. The highest figures are made by holding the bata little slanting and when the ball strikes on the under side of the batduring its return movement from a shot which carries it below the batand to the figure 5 space.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a toy is provided that will bevery inexpensive to manufacture as well asamusing and instructive to theyoung. Owing to the fact that the ball acts very rapidly under theimpulse of the elastic band, it will be seen that the eye will betrained during play in quick and accurate observation and the mind inrapid addition of figures.

I am aware that it is not broadly new to provide a game apparatuscomprising a handpiece with an elastic strip secured intermediate theends thereof and carrying a ball at its free end, such as is shown inthe patent to Reifi, No. 477352; but in such patent the elastic strip isnot secured to the extreme end of the handpiece and could not have sucha free movement as to permit the ball to act on the rebound as well ason the advance shot,

and my invention, therefore, is distinguished from the Reificonstruction in that the elastic strip is secured to the extreme end ofthe handpiece,'so as to have a free movement in all directions, wherebydouble or triple counts may be made during a single shot. I am alsoaware of the construction shown in English patent No. 568, of 1896, inwhich a fan-shaped handpiece is employed with an elastic strip and ballsecured thereto; but in this construction the ball can only act on theforward stroke, no rebound strikes being possible, as is the case withmy invention.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim is- A toy comprising abat or handpiece circular in cross-section and rounded off at one end,and having a plurality of distinctive circumferential marks or colorsupon its surface dividing the said bat or handpiece into several spacesor sections, an elastic strip having one end secured to the extremeroundedoff end of the bat or handpiece, and a ball attached to the freeend of the elastic strip, the construction being such as to permit afree movement of the elastic strip in all directions whereby the ballmay strike the bat or handpiece on rebound as well as on advancemovements during a single shot.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing wit nesses.

CLARENCE \V. TAYLOR.

Witnesses:

GRANT J. Ross, R. II. BROWN.

